Glastonbury

When I mentioned that I was going to spend the day in Glastonbury to some work colleagues, I got various wrinkled noses and negative comments about it being just a big field. And certainly, nowadays, it is best known for the grand-daddy of all UK outdoor festivals, the Glastonbury Festival. "Glasto" as we know it today has been around since the early '70's, but as early as as 1914, there was a classical music festival in or near Glastonbury.

Over the years, Glastonbury has developed a reputation for new age/pagan/wiccan tolerance, but the truth is, it has been a place of spiritual significance for years. It is the intersection of several ley lines and the Tor - a steep hill - has been used a place of worship since early man.

Knowing all this, I wasn't sure what to expect, but Catherine, my friend from work (and probably a distant cousin, we have determined!) used to work near the town, and offered to drive there. It's a bit of a pain to take trains and buses there, which is why I hadn't gone before - so I happily took her up on the offer. She came to get me at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and off we went.

Catherine & I like to talk, and so it shouldn't be a surprise that the combination of that and my poor understanding of the atlas' finer details, meant we ended passing the turn off to Glastonbury. This took us about 1 hour out of our way, but it took us through tiny hamlets where the walls of gardens were literally inches from the passenger side of the car.

In Glastonbury, we walked up the steep steps to the Tor, where only the tower of a former church remains. It was built on the site of an ancient worship site. the Tor is one of the most iconic symbols of Glastonbury and the views - despite the cold wind - were wonderful. Back down the hill, we next went to the Chalice Wells Gardens, a beautiful 4 acre garden, where sulfur springs bubble. It's a a lovely space and very peaceful. We filled our small containers from the Red fountain, which is reputed to have healing properties.

Next, we went to Glastonbury Abbey. The Abbey is now in ruins, as it was torn down in the reign of Henry VIII in the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The ruins show a Abbey that must have been a significant sized place of worship - I think it might rival the size of Westminster.

We had something to eat and after walking up & down the streets, filled with shops dedicated to wicca, druids and other spiritual beliefs (North American Indian was oddly popular for this area), we went back to the car and drive back to London.

It doesn't sound like much, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable day and all the walking and fresh air did my soul a world of good. One thing I don't like about London is how crowded it always seems - so spending the day in a quieter part of the country was beneficial to me. I think it helped me in the mental shift to prepare to come back to Canada.